


Monster Mental Health (And The Lack of Services They Have, I Mean Really)

by Kunabee



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Hopefully This Will Be Fluff, I make no promises, Other, POV Second Person, Post-Pacifist, Reader is You, Slow Burn, Toriel and Reader are friends, You're Also a Therapist, the only burn i can do is slow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-02-20 11:02:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kunabee/pseuds/Kunabee
Summary: "using a self-insert to ship yourself with a character is so tacky" i say as I consider it "i mean honestly self-inserts are tacky period" i say having had a "me character" "like really, that's why i didn't get into fanfiction for so long" i say as i read fanfiction "i mean the last thing we need are mary sue self inserts" i say as i consider writing a one-shot "and i mean, what's with all the sex? romance is fine but don't write porn - c'mon -" i say as i consider writing a 'reader insert' of f***ing sans from undertale ------message sent to my friends just before I gave in.  i am become trash.  -hangs head in shame-If that doesn't tell you what this is about: Sans and Reader have fun.  I tried not to Mary Sue.You, the reader, are a therapist named Leslie Montgomery and you get Sans as a client and eventually, I promise, I swear, there is a relationship and smut.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "i have no control over my life" - me, writing this, sitting in the basement with the cats as i avoid people at a family christmas party

When Mt. Ebott was first revealed as the  ~~hom~~ ~~e~~  prison of monsters, there was an awkward shuffling about.  It had been long enough that everyone thought the war was a myth, like something from an old, outdated religion, but it had happened.

Some of the monsters even remembered it happening.

At the end of it, humans knew they had messed up.  They had attacked the monsters, unprovoked, and now was the time to make amends.  Nearly every country offered citizenship, to any monsters who wanted to leave the area around Mt. Ebott.

Perhaps not so surprisingly, most monsters wanted to stay.  They began to build their own town.  And humans, like you, moved there.

The whole point of you moving there was to escape pretty much everyone.  Your bigoted small town and everyone you had met in college and - all of it.  Nobody would imagine you'd move so far away, into what was practically a new world.

It was strange, at first.  Monsters came in so many different shapes and sizes, and all humans had were a small collection of colors.  You weren't  _varied_ in the way monsters were.  And it could be unnerving to see a skeleton, or a giant spider, or any number of things pass by your door.  Everything was built all that slightly bigger, too.  Doorways were wider and taller, to accommodate larger monsters.  Furniture, on the other hand, was custom-made.

But you got used to it, the way you did, and made a life for yourself.  It turned out that the monsters had never had any sort of therapist or psychiatrist.  Mental health, for the monsters, was neglected.  And while you were of the personal opinion that the entire world tended to neglect mental health, the monsters were... so much worse.

Often clients would be directed to your small office by the one individual who thought therapy was a  _briliant_  idea, the once-monster-queen Toriel.  You didn't specialize in children - hell, you didn't specialize in  _monsters_  - but your office was near the school Miss Toriel had started and you both got coffee from the same little cafe.

That was how you two had met.  You had rushed in from the rain, without an umbrella, and she had a towel.  A towel, of all things.  So you started talking.

"Where do you work, dear?" she asked you in a tone of voice that reminded you of your mother, or just moms in general.

"Oh, um," you had said awkwardly, already knowing the amount of explanation required to simply say 'therapist'.  "I'm a therapist."  The blank stare let you know she was no more educated than any other monster, so you sighed.  "A therapist is an individual that provides therapy.  Therapy is... perhaps most easily, the study of an individual.  But not for any scientific purpose.  It's there to help someone learn about themselves and provide coping strategies.  Therapists, with the aid and recommendation of doctors, can prescribe medication that can help someone treat a mental illness, such as PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, which is where life-threatening trauma has impacted someone through flashbacks and anxiety."  You were always unsure if you explained things well enough or not, but you knew it was especially bad when you were trying to get somewhere.

Before Toriel could reply, you were at the front of the line and you ordered your coffee.  It gave her plenty of time to digest your words.

"That sounds like it could be useful," she said, and your eyes had lit up.  She got her coffee but lingered long enough to ask where you worked.  When the two of you realized you were so close, you walked together to the school.  She gave you her umbrella and you promised you'd be waiting by the door when you got done with work.

Mostly, work was sitting there on your laptop and advertising your services on the monster-exclusive internet called 'Undernet'.  You talked about different mental illnesses that you knew humans had.  You expressed your interest in learning more about monsters so that you could kickstart their field of psychology, hopefully.  You answered questions and advised against self-diagnosis.

And then the ex-queen Toriel attended a session.  She talked a lot about her past, her troubles with her ex-husband, the monster who used to be king.  She came back and talked about her worries for her students.  Her paranoia that her adopted human child would be hurt.  She came back again and again, and one session she cried as she talked about all the children she had lost in the past.  You listened.  You let her know it was okay.

And after about seven sessions with Toriel, you started getting a lot more clients.  The Underground had loved Toriel.  The monster-human ambassador, a ten-year-old called Frisk, even went to a couple of sessions with you.  You were getting so many clients you had to hire a secretary.  Frisk went to a different therapist, one they talked to online.

Your secretary was a sweet bunny monster named Marinette.  She was kind and, thankfully, not a client.  You were turning clients away after a while, working Sunday through Friday at insane rates.

Frisk had recommendations of therapists who worked online, thankfully, and other monsters turned to that.

After almost two entire years of living in Ebottown, you, at last, had settled into a reasonable routine.  Monday through Friday, you saw clients throughout the day.  You had some time to yourself.  Your secretary took care of emails and setting up appointments while you applied what you had gone to college for.

Every morning, you ordered your coffee and met Toriel there before the two of you walked together to where you worked.  She didn't often order coffee, but you always did.  You considered Toriel to be a good friend and ultimately had stopped seeing her since you couldn't be impartial.

But you still, sometimes, gave her advice and reminded her of what she had learned from you.

It was one day, with snow piled up on the ground but none of it falling, that you were seeing a new client.  You hadn't had a new one in a couple of months, but last week a monster had set up an appointment with Marinette.  You had just finished with the last client and were taking the ten minutes you put between appointments to take clean up, take deep breaths, and prepare yourself for whatever was next.

At last, you gave Marinette the sign to let him in, and a skeleton monster waddled to your door.  He was short, about the size of a ten-year-old, and rather stout.  He had on a blue hoodie and shorts and wore, for some reason beyond you, fuzzy pink slippers.

"Hello," you said with a warm smile, "Sans, is it?  It's good to see you, I'm glad you're here."

He grunted and flopped on the plush yellow couch in your room.  You thought your office was nicely decorated - a shelf was filled with books and games, inspirational posters on the walls, and gauzy curtains that almost always let the sunlight in.

"I take it you're here to appease someone you know," you said.

"that obvious, doc?" he said grumpily, laying down like it was home.  He kept his eyes - bright pinpricks of light in the sockets - on you.  You wondered if he was trying to annoy you.

"A little," you replied warmly, "But that's fine.  I'm still glad you're here.  They clearly think you need it.  Who was it that convinced you to come?"

He watched you for a little bit before he answered.  "my brother, papyrus.  he said we were going to grillby's, and then dropped me off here."

You managed not to laugh.  Grillby's was monster fast food, and you had to admit it was pretty damn good.  "I'd be fooled for Grillby's, too," you admitted in a conspiratorial tone of voice.

He was unimpressed.

"Well," you said, to keep away the silence for a little longer, "We could sit here in awkward silence.  We could talk about your brother Papyrus.  We could play a board game - I have a few.  This is your session.  Unless you sign papers, Papyrus will have no idea what happens here."

He frowned.  "i thought i was supposed to open up to you, tell you all my secrets?"

You shrugged.  "You  _are_  supposed to open up to me.  That doesn't mean you have to.  It also doesn't mean I'm going to push you.  Some people need time before they're ready to talk.  And I can't give you any advice or coping strategies if you don't tell me how you feel.  It also doesn't mean you should tell me 'all your secrets', as you put it.  I am here to help.  You can take advantage of that help or not."

He looked away, grunting.  You shrugged again.

He stayed stoically silent, but you outlasted him.  Very few people stayed quiet the entire session.  Finally, he sighed.  "this isn't like papyrus," he said.  You sat up straighter, tilting your head at him.

"Oh?" you prompted.

Sans narrowed his eyes at you, shrugging.  "i mean, he's very insistent.  he's the one who keeps me working and doing things.  you know he's the captain of the royal guard?"  You don't say anything about the fact you know the Royal Guard had been disbanded except for one member.  A monster named Papyrus, apparently.  "yeah.  anyway, he's always kept me busy.  but this whole therapy thing, he tricked me.  that's not like him, you know?"

You nod.  "That does sound strange.  I'd say he's worried about you.  What do you think?"

Sans leaned back with another sigh, both of his eyes closed.  "i'd agree with your assessment, doc."

You smiled.  "I'm actually not a doctor," you said.

He cracked one eye open.

"I don't have a doctorate, and I'm not a surgeon or a GP or whatever else.  Therapists are generally just called by their first name, no 'doctor' about it," you explained.

He snorted, his eye closing again.  "that's less exciting than i expected."

"What, were you thinking that I was just pretending to be a therapist?" you scoffed, "Nah.  I have the appropriate degree.  Just not a doctor."

The two of you resumed your silence.  There were five minutes left when Sans finally speaks.

"paps is probably going to make me come back next week.  you want me to bring anything for you? to, like, eat or something."

You smile.

"Some Grillby's would be nice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is no longer a one shot but it should still be short.
> 
> so much exposition.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans comes back. You keep it confidential. Oh, and you have a picnic with Toriel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is totally 100% based off of my experiences with therapists. i don't learn my therapist's name until like, a year after i start seeing them.
> 
> also i name you.
> 
> sorry.

True to his word, Sans was back the next week.  He also had Grillby's food with him.

You were pretty happy that he had Grillby's.  You had had to skip lunch today because there was a panic of a monster having 'fallen down', and so they called you like you were a surgeon to try and inspire them back to the waking world with hope (which is not, for the record, how that works).

It was just the monster being hard to wake up after a nap.

So the two of you sat down and ate together.  You were both quiet as the two of you ate, you waiting for him to start.  You finished before he did and cleaned up.  He watched you as you walked, taking care of the trash.

It also warmed your heart to see that he had brought something for Marinette, too.  She was immensely helpful, and you made sure to buy lunch for her at least once a month.

He was still eating when he spoke.  "so why are you a therapist?  what inspired you?" he asked before taking another a bite.

"My big sister has always struggled with mental health," you said, "She inspired me.  I wanted to help people.  I wanted to help  _her_."

He nodded.  "my big brother inspired me, too," he offered.

"Papyrus?  Is he your big brother."

Sans shook his head. "nah... gaster's not around anymore."

I frown.  "I'm sorry to hear that.  That must have been hard."

He shrugged.  "gaster struggled... with a lot of things.  but he was good at science.  got hired as the royal scientist before alphys got the position.  he was a good fifteen years older than me but i decided i wanted to be a scientist too.  i wanted to be... an astronomer."  He grinned, his skull seeming to stretch wider to accommodate the bigger smile.

You laugh.  "You loved the stars, huh?"

"still do," he said, "i've been trying to get a job with nasa or lockheed or anyone.  but no dice.  astronomy wasn't exactly taught underground, but i'm trying to learn.

You nodded, writing this down.

"able to tell me my problems already, huh?"  he snorted dismissively.

"No, not at all.  I'm just writing down you like the stars so I don't forget.  I don't write down what I think your problems are; I write down what you tell me and the solutions we discuss," you explained.

Sans shrugged.  "maybe this won't be so bad.  i thought therapy was a totally quack thing, but... you have been helpful, i guess, for the people that see you.  just not sure why i need you."

You narrowed your eyes at him.  "I don't think I believe that," you objected, "Your brother saw something wrong.  Let's talk about him."

"paps?  ok, yeah.  he's my little bro.  i take care of him.  sometimes he takes care of me.  he's just the coolest.  so smart, so confident, so amazing."  Sans's eyes lit up as he talked about Papyrus, his voice filled with warmth and love.  You couldn't help but smile.

He talked about Papyrus for a short time, telling you all about him.  You wrote down a lot about the skeleton's brother, but you also wrote down a little about Sans.

Like the fact he liked bad puns; he both said some and explained he annoyed his brother with them.  Or that he played trombone, and 'plagued' Papyrus's life with 'incidental music'.  You had laughed at that, and he had laughed with you.  Both of you avoided the topic of anything resembling a problem, keeping things light and happy.

But you had done this for a while, and you were good at reading people.  There was something bothering him.  You couldn't press, or he'd run.  You had to let him come to you.

It was hard to wait, but you  _had_  done it before.  You could help him, too, the same way you helped your other clients before him.  Not all of them were as quick to open up as Toriel was.  Speaking of Toriel.. you probably should make plans with her for lunch over the weekend.  Maybe with Frisk, too.  You were quite fond of the precocious kid.

You smiled as Sans left, waving at him.  He was your last client of the day, so you had already dismissed Marinette and now you picked up your things before you headed home.

Two Saturdays and one meeting with Sans later (still no progress), you, Toriel, and Frisk were having a picnic lunch in the park.  For a ten-year-old, Frisk could be quite mature.  They had had a hard life, and now they had a lot of responsibility since they were the first person to really bridge the gap between monsters and humans.  But even still, they were a kid, and at the moment they were playing with a monster kid, throwing a frisbee back and forth and chasing butterflies.

You sat next to Toriel, watching them with a small smile.

"How are they doing?" you asked her.

"They are happy," she said, "Happier here than anywhere else.  It has... not been easy.  But now they are surrounded by family and love.  And the therapy helps too."  She chuckled.

You patted her large paw.  "I still go to therapy, too, sometimes," you admit, your voice almost a conspiratorial whisper as you wink at her.  "Talking about things... It helps.  No matter what you're talking about."

She looked at you, smiling a small smile, and then turned back to watching Frisk.

"You don't talk much about your work," Toriel observed.  You shrugged.

"Patient confidentiality," you said, "I mean... what can I say?  Especially in a small town like this, if I go talking about certain problems or traits, someone still might be recognizable.  And it's a breach of trust to share who it is I'm seeing.  You have to sign papers."  You laugh.

The rest of your picnic goes by peacefully, and you're on your way back home when you realize you've forgotten to buy more freezer meals.  They were an absolute vice, but on weekdays they were your dinner.  And you were out of them, and you had forgotten to pick some up on Friday.

Smacking your forehead, you turned and made your way to the store.  You grabbed one of the handbaskets and waved at the only other human at the store and the reason why you didn't have to travel four hours by bus to the nearest human city.  Ever since the monster that ran the store hired her, she had made suggestions that offered familiarity to humans of the town and variety to the monsters.

You had shoved something like seventeen or eighteen meals into your basket and were taking it to the checkout lanes when you ran into... Sans.

And a tall skeleton wearing a cape.  "-GET SO MUCH KETCHUP, SANS?  THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE HABIT!" he was saying, berating the smaller skeleton.  They shared a cart that was absolutely filled with ketchup and spaghetti noodles.  You blinked.

"c'mon, paps.  i don't complain about how much spaghetti you make," the smaller skeleton said with his characteristic grin.  Paps... Papyrus!  It was Sans's brother.

You cleared your throat before they could continue arguing.  "Sans!" you said brightly, "Hello!"

He looked surprised to see you.  "oh, uh, hey, uh..."

You smiled.  Some of your clients would forget your name since it didn't come up often in sessions.  You were not surprised in the least that Sans was one of those clients.  "Leslie," you reminded him gently, "Leslie Montgomery."

"SANS!  HOW COULD YOU FORGET THE NAME OF YOUR-"

You panicked.  He was yelling and no doubt everyone would be able to hear them.  You weren't sure how Sans felt about other people knowing he was seeing a therapist, so you interrupted Papyrus before he could do any damage.  "New friend," you said in the brightest voice you could manage.

In a much, much lower tone, you whispered to Papyrus, "It's up to Sans to say if he wants people to know."

The taller skeleton looked at you and then nodded, his face understanding.

"Anyway," you said, shrugging, "Lots of people forget my name.  If it doesn't come up much, so it is not a big deal at all."  You offered your hand to the taller skeleton.  "Hi, I'm Leslie.  Sans has talked a little bit about you - Papyrus, right?"

He took your hand, beaming.  "OF COURSE, HE HAS TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT PAPYRUS!  I WOULD TALK ABOUT HIM!"

"yeah, and i'm not nearly as great," Sans agreed.  You laughed.

"TELL ME, WHAT HAVE YOU AND MY BROTHER TALKED ABOUT IN YOUR SESSIONS?" Papyrus asked, curious. He was even leaning forward

You pursed your lips together.  "I can't talk about it," you explain, "What I discuss with my clients is private."  Something told you that you shouldn't mention the forms Sans could fill out to let Papyrus be privy to the information in the session until you and Sans were in a session.

"OH.  WELL, I HOPE YOU HELP HIM A LOT!" the tall skeleton declares, "I DO WORRY ABOUT HIM SOMETIMES!"

"aw, paps.  you know you don't need to worry about me," Sans said, patting his brother's arm.  You smiled at the two of them.  They were pretty adorable together.

"Well, I'll see you on Thursday, Sans.  Take care, both of you," you said cheerfully, waving and moving to the checkouts.  They both seemed very nice.  Behind you, you heard them resume arguing about spaghetti and ketchup.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slow burn is the only burn


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans begins to open up. There's a ride home in the rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jsyk when you get into a relationship with Sans, you stop being his therapist. you're a professional.

Sans was about five minutes late on Thursday. In the front, you could hear Papyrus apologizing to Marinette. Car troubles, or something like that. Being late felt fitting for Sans, although Papyrus was always early. The juxtaposition amused you, but it just seemed to fit so well for the two skeletons.

Sans deposited himself on the couch, laying his head back with a sigh. His eyes were closed and within moments, he was snoring softly. You bit back a giggle, rolling your eyes. 

"Sans," you said. He didn't stir. "Sans," you repeated, louder this time. No response. You sighed, getting up and shaking his shoulders. "SANS," you practically shouted. 

He cracked his eyes open. "ehh... what's up, doc?" You rolled your eyes. 

"Didn't get much sleep last night, did we?" you teased, sitting back down and grinning at him. It was not the first time someone fell asleep during one of your sessions, although they never fell asleep _that_ quickly. 

"nah. i sleep too much. that isn't the problem," he said, shrugging. You frowned, writing that down. Sleeping too much was a good sign of depression. 

"Oh, I forgot to mention. If you want me to be able to share with Papyrus what happens in our sessions, there _are_ forms you can fill out. If you want." You watched him carefully for his reaction. 

He hesitated, and then shook his head. "it... may be better that he doesn't know some things," Sans decided. You wrote down exactly what he said, deciding it may be important. 

You wanted, so badly, to push Sans just a little. To ask him what he meant by that, if he was finally opening up to you. But you didn't. You bit your tongue and continued watching him until he started to shift uncomfortably. And then you took another piece of paper and started to doodle. Most therapists, these days, used electronic devices that could sync the notes directly to the electronic files. You just liked the feeling of pen and paper. You usually input the notes into the computer yourself - the important ones, anyway; some things needed to not go to the cloud - but Marinette helped you occasionally. You felt bad about that; your handwriting was not the best. 

"whatcha makin'?" Sans asked, curiously. 

You weren't really paying attention, but you looked at the paper. It was just a bunch of flowers and swirly lines. "...An abstract design, I guess," you say noncommittally, "I don't know. I'm just doodling. Why? Would you rather I go back to staring?" You look up with a grin. 

"i'd flower you not," he said. 

Did he just... 

You cracked up laughing when you realized his poor wordplay, pressing your hands over your mouth as you giggled uncontrollably. He looked absolutely pleased as punch with himself. It took you a little to get control of yourself. 

"No matter how many puns you share, they still crack me up. My sense of humor is atrocious," you sighed, still giggling a little. 

His grin widened in that impossible way it did. "tibia honest, i've bone a little nervous. you laughing makes me feel humerus and like maybe this isn't so weird after all." 

That was extremely honest of him. It wasn't dodging or awkward silence or puns made to distract you. He was, finally, beginning to open up, just a little. 

"Therapy can be intimidating," you agreed, "But I'm not going to judge you. I'm here to help. Whatever you tell me doesn't leave this room." You paused. "Except for the fact I'm a mandatory reporter. If you're planning on killing yourself or anyone else, I have to report that. Child abuse, too." 

He was sweating, you noticed. 

In a softer voice, you continued, "Intrusive thoughts or dreams where you kill yourself or others are private. Thinking that you want to kill someone is private. Suicidal ideation is _private_. It's only if you have a plan. And I told you this at our first session." 

He nodded. "i remember," he said in a quiet voice. His eyes were pinpricks in his head. 

You laced your hands together, tilting your head. It looked like he wanted to say more. But... he didn't. Instead, he asked if he could have a paper and a pencil, too. You happily obliged. 

The session ended with the two of you doodling, and you felt exhausted. There was mental strain there, even if he hadn't said much. But you were so prepared for him to finally... There was always next time, you supposed. Outside, you could tell it was raining. You began to pack up, sighing at the fact you didn't bring your umbrella. 

"hey, uh, leslie... do you... want a ride home?" 

His offer took you by surprise, and you looked up from where you were getting your bag ready. "Oh, um, no, I'm good. Really." 

"it's really not a problem," he insisted. You shook your head. You trusted the monsters; you had quickly learned they were far kinder than humans were. But still, it would be irritating to cart you around. 

"I don't want to be a bother," you insisted. Sans took your hand anyway. He was being strangely insistent about this, so you sighed. "Alright," you said at last, "I'd rather not walk in the rain. But only if Papyrus is okay with it!" From what you knew of him... he would be. 

"knew it," the skeleton chuckled. The two of you walked to the elevators. You pressed the button. The doors opened and there, of course, was Papyrus. 

"SANS! SINCE IT WAS RAINING TODAY I THOUGHT I'D COME UP WITH AN UMBRELLA. OH! HELLO MISS LESLIE!" He beamed. "DO YOU WANT US TO WALK YOU TO YOUR CAR? ALTHOUGH, I ONLY SAW OURS IN THE PARKING LOT..." He frowned deeply, considering. 

"Ah... actually, your brother sort of volunteered you to give me a ride home?" You scratched the back of your head, shrugging and laughing. "If you'd be willing to of course -" 

"OF COURSE! I DON'T kNOW WHERE YOU LIVE, BUT IF YOU PROVIDE DIRECTIONS..." He was, predictably, eager and friendly. You found yourself smiling, even if you felt a little bad having the brothers give you a ride home. 

"Yeah, I'm not far from here. That's why I _walk_." You laughed at that, and then the three of you went down the elevator. 

It turned out Papyrus drove a cherry-red sports car. It was impressive as fuck, and you admired it for a moment before taking cover from the nigh-torrential rain inside of it. It was nice and meticulously clean. You settled into the back seat with your bag while the brothers got up front. Sans settled down in the passenger side... and immediately settled down for a nap. You giggled. 

You gave Papyrus directions, talking casually with him in-between. Once you arrived at your apartment building, he turned around. His voice was surprisingly quiet as he spoke. 

"Wait, Miss Leslie... I Know You Can't Tell Me Anything, But... Has Sans Opened Up To You At All?" His worried eyes gazed into yours. The slight hint of magic swirled. You hesitated. 

You finally shook your head, slowly, and he sighed and turned back around. "I Just Wish He Knew... That He Didn't Have To Lie." 

You patted Papyrus's shoulder, and then you flee the car. He called after you, offering an umbrella, but you waved it away and managed to not get too soaked as you slid into the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god i'm horrible at puns why am i so unfunny


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grillby's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i the worst? yes.
> 
> writer's block and life is kicking my ass. i'm moving to utah. very unwillingly. i'm an adult but i can't support myself. -shakes fist- buuut, this fanfic, the other fanfic i have planned, and two (!) different original projects are all starts to supporting myself.

Papyrus was so worried about his brother. It was the sweetest damn thing you'd ever seen. So you laid in your bed, late at night, and thought of how you could possibly express your concerns without risking client confidentiality.

You ultimately decided for an anonymous forum online. You stared at it for a while, debating on what you should say there. But eventually, you typed. 

_I'm a therapist,_ you started, and then immediately deleted that. No. You needed to be... even more careful. The only therapist who lived in the same city as monsters would probably come out. 

_You ever have a friend where, you know something is wrong, but they won't tell you? Yeah. His brother was all 'I wish he knew he didn't have to lie' and so now I'm feeling guilty?? And I just don't feel competent. I have the blahs._

It felt nice to write it, get it out there, and then let it just exist in the abyss. You felt maybe a little more prepared for your next session with Sans. As a therapist, you especially knew the benefits of venting. 

He was back to being early again, thankfully. You knew that was still Papyrus who was the cause. Sans seemed like one of those people who would be perpetually late. But - he was in a good mood today. You beamed. 

"So what amazing fantabulous wonderful thing happened to give you that shit-eating grin? I didn't know you were capable of such joy," you teased affectionately, "It seems like so much effort." 

Sans shrugged. "i've worked a lot of odd jobs, but never really... liked any. thanks to paps and tori, i'm actually doing some cool things with astronomy finally." 

You beam, and write down 'astronomy job??? - new' in your notes. "That's _great_ , Sans. I'm so happy for you!" You pause. "Wait... Tori... as in Toriel? Ex-queen of the monsters? You know Toriel?!" 

The skeleton shrugged again, looking sheepish. "uh, yeah... you know tori? i mean... i guess that makes sense. she probably still sees you, huh?" 

You shook your head. "Actually, no. Tori and I... we're more friends than anything. I couldn't trust myself to remain professional and unbiased, so I recommended she see someone else. She does online therapy, like Frisk." 

"i guess that makes sense... you're really the professional, huh?" 

You shrugged. "I suppose. I just... the rules are in place for a reason, you know? So to save future heartache, it's just easier to follow them." You didn't mention the fact you could get in trouble. 

But it seemed that Sans had an idea. "you don't even bend the rules a little?" he asked, and there was something in his gaze... 

"What rules are you planning to bend?" you asked, and he stood up and held his hand out to you. 

"d'ya wanna see a short cut?" 

Yes, you most definitely did. You took his hand, and suddenly the two of you were out of the office and next to a bar. No, not just any bar. The weird fast food slash bar combo... maybe it wasn't so weird. Bars served burgers. Just, they didn't usually do takeout. 

Grillby's. You had quickly developed a love for Grillby's, although Muffet's little cafe had become and now would always be your favorite. It had coffee, and Grillby's was a bar. But the atmosphere was warm. You and Sans walked in together, and everyone there greeted Sans with warmth and delight. It was pretty cool, actually. 

The two of you sat down at the bar, and you spun slightly in the stool. It was childish but it was fun, and you couldn't quite resist it. "So, you can teleport, huh?" you asked in a low, quiet voice. Sans didn't respond to you. 

"hey grillbz," Sans said. The flaming bartender nodded his head before Sans turned at you. "so do you want what i got you when i brought it to your office, or..." 

"I'm good," you replied, "Just order for yourself." 

"...well, suit yourself, i guess. but you're losing out on some good food." He shrugged, but there was something in his expression you couldn't quite place. 

"I want to help you," you said honestly. You shrugged. "If talking at Grillby's makes you feel better, then we'll talk at Grillby's. If you want to meet here more, we could do that." 

He huffed, but didn't say anything else. He ordered a burger for himself, and Grillby passed him a ketchup bottle. He opened the top of it... and drank it like it was juice or something. Gross, but there were definitely worse habits out there. 

"May I ask you a question, Sans?" you said after a while of silence. 

"didn't you just ask one?" he asked, his perpetual grin widening slightly. "yeah, sure, go ahead." 

"Your brother, Papyrus, he's the one who made you come, right? Do you know... why he's worried?" Your voice was low, and you leaned in close to Sans to try and minimize the potential for anyone to overhear you. 

The lights in the skeleton's eyes nearly went out, and he squinted. "not.... exactly. but i might have an idea." At your expectant look, he shook his head. "...'m not up for talking about that yet, doc," he explained. 

You backed off immediately, feeling only a little disappointed. "No problem," you said cheerfully, "I'll wait for as long as you need, for whenever you feel ready." 

His burger arrived, and you sway idly on the stool. When you first moved here, you were awkward and frightened. Now, you're pretty comfortable around all the different monsters. It wasn't hard to feel relaxed when they're all so nice. 

Eventually, the two of you finished eating. You're not sure how long it took, but you're pretty sure it took longer than a normal session. "Wait, Sans, is Papyrus worried? He picks you up, right?" 

"already texted him," Sans said, "want to take a picture with me for proof you were here with me?" 

You smiled, getting close to the skeleton and he snapped a selfie of the two of you. You laughed at it, and then Sans brought you back to your office before he left for home. You spent some time cleaning up, glad Sans is your last appointment of the day, and then headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...i'm making a patreon, that's what i'm hinting at.
> 
> and writing more chapters bcuz i'm so freaking lame.
> 
> WORKING ON IT, FRIENDS. hoping to cop this out before ten chapters.
> 
> hahaha.
> 
> we'll see.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans start to get close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i'm dying
> 
> the climax is coming. one or two more chapters? and then a final chapter after that.

You're not sure what it is about Sans the skeleton, but you want to open up to him too. You keep yourself controlled, and wait. Patient with every meeting. Usually, the two of you exchange puns, and talk about happy things. Sometimes you draw or color or write.

Here, and there, words and thoughts slip out. Going to Grillby's had been a marvelous idea. You followed the rules, of course, and you were stringent about them, but... you had allowances. 

It was one Thursday when you and Sans had been coloring in a book you had purchased, right next to each other on the floor and getting in each other's way a little, when you noticed he was... sweating? Huh, okay. He seemed nervous, upset. Your stomach twisted painfully, guiltily. You weren't sure why you felt guilty, but... he was clearly upset. And, there it was: you couldn't do anything about it. Even though he just needed to let you in, even though it was all on him... you still felt bad. 

"there're some things i can't tell you," Sans said, "not because of, uh, any good reason... just cuz you wouldn't understand. couldn't understand. but... there's things i can. and... i think... talking will be good." 

Your guilt and nerves disappeared in an instant, and you kept your face blank. You wanted to jump for joy. He was finally opening up to you. But you didn't dare show your excitement. You just nodded, saying nothing as you both colored. 

"...same time next week?" Sans offered you his hand, sitting up. You sat up as well, taking it and shaking his hand. He smiled, standing up and, for some reason, the lazy skeleton pulled you along. You laughed and smiled. 

"you, uh, you want paps to give you a ride again?" he offered. You laughed. 

"It's not raining," you said with a smile, gesturing at the beautifully sunny day outside. It was in the full throws of spring now, and you were surprised to realize that since February, you had seen Sans every week... and it was now the end of April. That made, what, twelve sessions? Maybe he was opening up to you pretty quickly. Then again, most other monsters took half that time if they took any time at all. Maybe the reason monsters didn't have mental health services was because of how trusting and open they are. But... some of them had some trauma, or a lot of it. So being a monster wasn't all sunshine and roses. 

He said something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like "i wish it were raining" and then loud enough to be properly heard he said, "see you next week, les." 

You smiled at him. "You too, Sans," you said brightly and didn't mention the nickname that _wasn't_ 'doc'. You hummed as you picked up your stuff and then headed out, closing the office behind you. 

The next day, Marinette was waiting for you when you finished with your clients. The two of you headed to her car. You were going to take her into the nearest human city. She was human-shaped enough that regular clothes could fit her, and she had found a beautiful pair of boots. But, she was too afraid to go alone. So you had promised to go shopping with her, so that she could pick them up. 

"I love them so much," she squeaked, "Thank you so much, Leslie. I really owe you one!" 

You waved a hand. "Marinette, you are a literal lifesaver. If I didn't have you as my secretary, I'd be drowning. This is the least I can do for all of that." 

"And buy me lunch once a month, and always check on how I'm doing, and give me Saturdays off even though you work them every other week..." She listed stuff off quickly, her eyes still on the road. "You were the one who helped me get my license, and this is the third time you're going to the human city to help me with something." 

"Hey, I appreciate you," you said, "I just want you to know that. So you don't owe me anything. Just take care of yourself and let me know when you need help." 

She laughed, and the two of you lapsed into a comfortable silence. You fiddled with the radio some, finding a station playing different instrumental music. You tapped your fingers out to the beat on the songs you knew, leaning your head back and enjoying the scenery. It was so beautiful out here. Within no time at all, it seemed, you two were at the human city. 

Marinette pulled up to a big department store, finding a parking space and staring anxiously at the building. 

"Hey," you said gently, "We can do this. I'm right here." You got out first, going to the driver's side, and Marinette got out and locked the car doors. You took her arm, gently guiding her into the building. Some people looked. A couple shot the two of you dirty looks. And the clerk to help you had a pained, forced smile. But she helped you, anyway, and you got the boots Marinette had ordered. 

"They look lovely," the clerk said, and her tone was a little more honest. Sometimes people just needed to see how normal the monsters are, because in the fifteen minutes of helping you two her smile was a little less forced. 

"Thank you so much for your help," Marinette said, "Um, Leslie... is it human custom to offer a tip now?" You laughed. 

"Not usually," the store clerk said, "But thanks for the thought." She smiled. "Do you want to do any actual shopping, or...?" 

"N-no, just the boots! But, I'll come back some other time." Marinette smiled back at her. 

"Just ask for Rhianne, that's me, when you do. I'd be happy to help." 

The two of you left, Marinette beaming with her boots in a bag. "Every time, I'm so scared. And every time, it goes well." She laughed. "It's just... strange humans are so scary! You guys aren't like monsters... Which is okay! But it makes me nervous." 

You nodded. "Don't worry, Marinette. I understand completely." You both got back in her car, and drove back to the monster town in peace. 

It was always nice to spend time with the sweet bunny monster, and it was little things like this that gave you 'hope for humanity'. You were smiling as you got back to your apartment and headed to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> marinette makes me happy i love her, favorite npc oc 10/10


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i took WAY TOO long, but my new year's resolution is 1667 words/day for any project i want, split as i desire. so, finger's crossed that since i'll be writing nano levels i can... actually get my shit together?
> 
> ha, a farce and an illusion.

Ever since that Thursday with Sans, you had been eagerly waiting for his next appointment. It was just a week, and Marinette was a good distraction, but he was finally opening up to you! Or he was going to!

So, of course, he was late. Twenty minutes late, in fact, and when he arrived you looked up and he was just on your couch, with no noise. You made a startled shriek, and Marinette burst in the door and then stared at him. He grinned.

"sorry i'm late, doc," he said with a shrug. "papyrus finally trusts me enough to not try and get out of this, so he had something planned for today."

Of course, he did You rubbed your forehead as Marinette slinked back to her desk.

"You're lucky you're my last client of the day and I like you," you huffed, "Because otherwise, we'd only have forty minutes instead of an hour."

He shrugged again. "oops," he said in a way that made you feel very much like he planned this. You pull out the coloring book the two of you had been working on last time, but he shakes his head.

"not this time, les. i said i'd tell you some things, so..." His eyelights were pinpricks again, tiny dots that revealed his nervousness.

"Sometimes it helps to keep your hands busy while talking," you said, shrugging.

"too distracting," he grumbled, shifting a bit anxiously. "no, i... i need to just talk, i think."

You nodded and accepted this, knowing that everyone was different in how they approached things. Just because a lot of your monster clients enjoyed coloring and doodling, or fidgeting with fidget cubes, or playing with putty or clay, didn't mean all of them did. Some of them listed off their issues like a grocery list; others were just as awkward as humans. Some had their problems slip in here and there. And Sans? He needed a lot of patience and a little bit of time. You could give both of those things to him.

"i was born underground," he said as he looked away, "i was born underground and every day i wake up and see the sun rise and feel so lucky. but... i can't help but feeling that it's going to all happen again. that i'll wake up, and everything will be as it was. back in snowdin. back underground, like we'd never left."

Anxiety, you thought, that's definitely more anxiety than depression but it could still be feeding into each other, a horrible feedback loop.

"even this new job, even with things going so well, it feels so..." There was a long pause. You said nothing. "it feels pointless." He dragged his hand down over his eye, bones pressing against forehead and dragging down roughly. "because it did happen. kid said they won't reset anymore but having it happen so many times -" His words broke off suddenly, and he hissed sharply through his permanent grin. You were seeing more vulnerability than he wanted you to. But you didn't write this down, as much as you felt it was important. No, instead you folded your hands together, looked at them for a moment, and then looked back at him.

"Is this the stuff you said you couldn't tell me because I 'wouldn't understand'?" you asked calmly. His response was a nod, a strained one.

"i should go -"

"Don't," you said, frowning at him. "It's okay if you don't want to talk more. But... don't go yet. Alright?" 

He looked at you, and you couldn't tell what he was seeing. It was a lot like he saw every inch of you, saw into your SOUL, and you shuddered under such a gaze. It was the gaze of a judge. 

"i woke up," he finally said, "back in my bed in snowdin. over and over again. kid said they needed to save someone. fine. turned out they couldn't save them. turned out there was a flower. turned out the anomaly kept changing." 

He shook his head. "so now they 'promise' not to reset. they said no more resets. and i can't believe them, because the flower was a liar. no-one should have the kind of power they have, they had, and they do. they could reset and it will all be gone. all of it." 

You drummed your fingers on your desk. You didn't really understand, but it clearly impacted him. He also wasn't telling you everything, but that was fine. 

"Let's go to Grillby's," you said suddenly, standing up and gathering your stuff. He stared at you for a moment. "That was heavy. I don't understand it. You need to relax and calm down, clearly, because being vulnerable does not come easy to you and that's okay, but we both need to figure out what to do with the information we have." 

His grin widened a bit, a more honest smile. "heh. you really are something. i can see why people buy into the whole therapy thing. still not sure if it's for me. sure, let's go, whatever." 

He didn't offer a 'shortcut', so you started walking. You locked up the office behind you, carrying your bag with your notes. You were pretty sure you didn't need to write down what he told you; you got everything you needed to understand and his reaction - and some of the seemingly nonsensical things he said - would probably stick with you. 

The walk to Grillby's was shaping up to be a long walk until Sans reached out a hand. You took it, and then in another step the world spun and you were in front of Grillby's again. You shook her head, feeling a little breathless and dizzy like you had before by the sudden change. He walked in and you followed, both of you going to what appeared to be Sans' usual seat at the bar. 

This time you order something, paying for a serving of fries - a _big_ serving - and carefully pouring out a bit of ketchup to the side. You were pretty sure the fire monster - the eponymous Grillby - was smiling as you deftly avoided any potential pranks from the skeleton next to you. Sans, for his part, snickered at your reaction. 

"Frisk told me that story," you said as you raised an eyebrow. 

"is that why you didn't order anything the first time you came here with me?" he asked as he started drinking his own, fresh bottle of ketchup.

You shrugged. "Yes and no? It had something to do with it but I also, honestly, just wasn't hungry. I was doing the whole bending the rules thing for you and all that." You smiled at him. 

Sans snorted. "course. this still bending the rules, doc?" 

"Are we still in a session?" you shot back. 

He looked at you fairly intensely. "look. i like you. definitely as a friend. maybe a little bit more. but relationships are messy. therapy is annoying. opening up..." He trailed off. "apparently today i'm just being all kinds of _bonehead_. can't stop talking myself in a corner. i think, well, les is pretty good and i like her and she's supposed to help and all of a sudden i'm doing something skeletons shouldn't do: spewing shit. " 

You snorted at that, hiding your mouth behind your hand while you grinned. "Don't feel so bad," you said, sighing as you forced yourself to get back to being serious. "But, Sans... I'm a therapist. I can either be your therapist or your friend or whatever else. I can't be both." 

"that's dumb. and why not?" he challenged. 

You shook your head. "It's not dumb. I need to be impartial. If I'm your friend, I can't be that. And what if something else happens, huh? If you're not sure what kind of relationship you want with me, that's messy, and that's the sort of thing a therapist could help with, but if I'm your therapist and I'm pissed at you or you're pissed at me..." You shrugged. "It doesn't work. It makes therapy messy and relationships annoying, to flip your wording." You smiled a bit. "Not to mention the power imbalance..." 

He stayed quiet. You sighed, not pushing. It seemed you 'didn't push' Sans a lot. Instead, you ate your fries, thoroughly coating each one in ketchup before shoving it in your mouth. Not sure what kind of relationship he wanted with you, huh? You had definitely felt something. It wasn't the same kind of easy conversation with Toriel, and it wasn't something like you'd felt with other friends. It was... something different. And while you had had a boyfriend in the past, it felt different from that too. But, well, it was CURRENT YEAR and there were monsters and relationships could be whatever the people involved wanted them to be. 

But why were you even considering this? He needed a therapist more than he needed a friend or 'something else' - he had a support system. His brother Papyrus, all these people at Grillby's... but he didn't have a licensed professional who went to school. You needed to keep your emotions in check so you could be... 

Who were you kidding? Of course, you were considering it. And now that it was out in the open, it would be impossible for either of you to be impartial to the other. It was a risk with therapy - sometimes you ended up more 'friends' than 'client and professional' and when that happened you stopped therapy and recommended someone else. Of course, there was no-one else in-person, but maybe online would be better - maybe over text. Some shyer monsters did much better with that (and humans too, if you were being honest). 

You moved to put another fry in your mouth, before realizing that you had eaten them all. You brushed your hands off on your legs to clear them of salt, and then grabbed a napkin and wiped your face. Sans was done eating too, and he looked you over with the small eye lights you knew meant 'nervous'. 

"i'll walk you home, les." He got up, and you followed. His hand reached out for yours and you took it. Grillby's to your home was a long walk, but you'd done it before. You wondered if you'd have to carry Sans, and it took all your willpower to not laugh at the image. 

Thankfully, you stepped outside and then you were at your apartment building. You moved to take your hand away, but he didn't let go. His grip tightened, even, and you were left frowning at him. 

"if i can't have both, i'd rather a friend or a 'whatever' than a therapist," he said, "so there's. that." 

"I'd recommend finding an online therapist," you said, "One you can talk to over text." He relinquished your hand at last, but you didn't move immediately. "...do you want to come into my apartment?" 

"stars, yes. and of course, you'd recommend a therapist. gotta help all your friends make money, right?" He was doing that thing where he scrapped his metacarpals over his skull again. 

You snorted at his sad joke and then headed into your building and up to your apartment. You quickly unlocked the door, and let Sans in first. He looked around. 

"nice place. suits you, i think. it's pretty _suite_ and all. wonder why there's no elevator though - those usually _lift my spirits_. " 

You were left giggling over his puns. "It's - it's just a two-story building, so..." you said to explain the lack of elevator. You couldn't stop giggling, your voice a little breathless. His puns were not that funny, but you didn't know what else to do. He just grinned, eyelights still small from his nerves. 

God, when you weren't at work, you could be just so awkward. It didn't help that Sans was, in fact, awkward too. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i reread the past chapters and can i just say, wow, i am terrible at narrative cohesion. is the appointment on thursday? friday? saturday? does leslie work on saturday? why is she working Sunday to Friday once and then Monday to Friday with 'every other' Saturday later? WHO KNOWS.
> 
> pretty sure two more chapters until completion.
> 
> sans is so out of character here hahahahaaaa


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are a bit messy.
> 
> _Explicit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we are, the climax, the whole reason i started writing this. smut time.

There was an awkward silence as the two of you stood in your apartment. You set your things down, and then just kind of looked at Sans. He looked back. You felt bad; his eyelights were still so small, anxiety and nerves filling them. You wanted to help, but you were on a precipice. He had just told you he didn't want you as a therapist, and that he held interest as 'more than a friend', and you couldn't say you didn't feel the same. The whole problem was that you did, and even if you didn't there was still no way he could still be your client.

You cleared your throat. "Uh, I have some soda in the fridge -"

"some ketchup would be better," he said.

"Oh. Right. Yeah. Sure, sure." You had an unopened bottle of ketchup that you grabbed, and for yourself, you had a can of Ginger Ale. You gave him the ketchup as you popped the tab on the soda, letting it fizz. There was a long silence that was less awkward due to the fact you both had something to drink, even if Sans' drink was something gross.

"So I really... can't be your therapist anymore. For all the reasons I said. But you definitely... should have one. There's a lot there." You frowned at him.

He sighed heavily, dragging his hand over his forehead again. It was a soothing gesture, you noted. But his eyelights were back to their normal size, which made you feel better. "not sure i can open up to a therapist without considering them a friend or more, les," he said dully.

You nodded, looking away as you sat on the couch. You patted the spot next to you, and he joined you. "That would be a problem," you agreed quietly, "I just... God, Sans. My heart aches for you. And I feel like I can't help with anything at all."

"you _do_ help, though. don't sell yourself short, " he said, frowning at you. "the doodling and coloring together. the way you listen. you always ask about papyrus and just - it doesn't feel like it's some sort of professional facade."

You laughed. "I try to listen like that to everyone. Like I said, I got into therapy and stuff because of my sister. I'm here because I care. So... the way I listen to my clients and the way I listen to my friends are the same, just without notes for my friends." You shrugged a bit.

"...can i see what you've written about me?"

"What? Oh, sure." You fish out your notebook and find the pages for notes about him. There's just one, front and back, but you rip it out anyway and hand it to him. "You can keep it if you want. Your own notes aren't exactly confidential. At least not from me."

He snorted, looking it over. It was messy, but it was just filled with little details - about his new job, about his schooling, about his brother and about him. There were a few guesses to what plagued him - you had circled 'depression, definitely' - but mostly it was an aid used to help you remember.

"huh. this is shockingly little. sure you don't have more pages?" He smiled at you and you were fairly certain he was joking. But you smiled and shook your head.

"Afraid not. Sorry to disappoint you," you teased. He snorted.

"pretty hard to disappointment me." He shrugged, and both of you were smiling and feeling much more relaxed. So you leaned forward, your lips just brushing the top of his head. It was smooth and cool and entirely unexciting. If he was a kid it would mean something else. His eyelights narrowed and you were pretty sure you fucked up, because of the fact he had expressed a lack of interest in romantic relationships, but then there were teeth against your lips.

It was a strange feeling, harsh bumps against your lips, but they were surprisingly pliable. It didn't feel like kissing teeth, per se, but something strange. You closed your eyes as the two of you pulled away.

"That was pretty nice," you said brightly. You felt his hand on yours.

"you're not gonna get your hopes up, right?" The anxiety in his voice made you look at him. Was he... sweating? "i can do more than friends. i can't do 'boyfriend'. i'm lazy and relationships are exhausting. i'm _bone tired_ as it is, almost all the time. so whatever we have, whatever ends up happening, just... don't get your hopes up. "

"I won't," you said, "Look, life's complicated, and so's everything else. You've made it clear what you want and what you can do, and I'm truly okay with that. It's weird, sure, but if it fits... well, for now, I'm good with that."

He still seemed anxious, like he didn't quite believe you. So you frowned.

"Or we could just be friends," you added, your voice soft, "And it never has to go anywhere from here. I won't push you. Besides, a 'whatever' sounds a whole lot better than a boyfriend." You smiled at him. He nodded slowly, and seemed to make up his mind.

"kay. do you..." He trailed off, and you could tell he was trying to think of what to say. So you leaned forward and kissed him again, then got up.

"C'mon, lazy bones. The bed's a better place, whether that's cuddles and a nap or actually using your _boner_."

He snorted, and that ended up making you giggle. Which actually made you wonder about how that worked but you decided to ignore that. If it got that far, you'd figure it out.

You unhook your bra and deposit it in your hamper without disturbing your shirt. When you turn around, Sans was standing at the doorway and he had a rather impressed expression. You laughed. "Pretty sure that's one of the first things a girl learns to do," you teased.

He hesitated, but then shrugged out of his jacket. Below it was just a white tank-top, and now you had a good view of his arm bones. All of his bones were thicker than the bones of a human, some of them fused together where they'd be separate if he was a human skeleton. You sat down on the bed and he joined you.

"So how _is_ Papyrus?" you asked him with a smile.

"really good, actually. he's been doing a lot to help the relationship between humans and monsters. it's nice." The skeleton's permanent grin widened in the way you knew was an honest smile. "people find it hard to say no to him, since he's so cool and all."

You hummed thoughtfully and nodded. Yeah, that was Papyrus; he was boisterous and confident but you had trouble calling it 'narcissism' when it wasn't negative. You met Sans's eyes, but he quickly looked away from you. You squirmed out of the pencil skirt you had been wearing, leaving just underwear on. That started him to sweating again.

"...are you seriously sweating, or is that just... something else?" you asked curiously.

A faint blue blush came across his cheeks, and you couldn't help but find it adorable. "it's, uh, magic. hard to keep it just inside sometimes..."

You nodded in understanding. Sometimes kids tended to react with bullet patterns and such, and you'd ended up with more than a few scrapes. At least kids couldn't pull out your SOUL - that had always stayed safely inside of your chest. You offered your arm, and Sans leaned into you. The two of you stayed like that for a little bit in silence, before he finally pulled away and pulled off his tank top.

His ribs looked like thicker human ribs, you noted, but there was also a light blue glow under them. "May I?" you asked, hand hovering over them, and at his nod you gently touched the ribs and the glow. There was a slight resistance against your hand, and as you dragged it down it continued even below the ribs, despite the lack of indicative glow. "Woah. That's cool."

He grinned at you. "yeah, you think? ok, watch this." He sucked in a breath and you could see the blue glow spread to his stomach, and then stick out nice and round like a beer belly or something. "ta-da." He blew out heavily, and the glow faded back to its normal expanse and you assumed the pressure that kept you from going between his bones returned to normal, too.

"That's awesome," you said as you turned to sit fully on your bed, legs crisscrossed in front of you. He turned to face you, only he put his feet in your lap. You snorted at his pink fuzzy slippers, but he kicked him off. You reached forward again, and at his nod, you slowly started rubbing the bones. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"oh, that's quite a _feet_ you're doing - i had no idea it would feel so _toes_ -totally nice," he said with a little groan. You started giggling, bending your head so the top of your forehead touched the tip of his toes, taken with laughter. He looked quite pleased with himself.

"so... since you felt my chest, can i feel yours?" he asked. You looked up and him and nodded, before taking off your shirt. You threw it and your skirt in the hamper, grinning as they both landed on the edge.

You shifted again, and he reached out. His hand gently squeezed your breast, and despite yourself you started to blush. You laughed a bit, especially as Sans shifted as well so he could feel both your breasts.

"...yup, still have no idea why humans like these so much," he said cheerfully. You shrugged.

"Hey, you could be an ass man," you suggested, which immediately made you blush and you facepalmed. "I am trying to be cool and helpful and ohhh my God..."

He started laughing. "yeah, well, I had to _ass_ k to be sure. though i guess neither of us are at our _breast_. i guess i should have _chest_ if that was okay _butt_ hopefully we can put the event _behind_ us, keep it to our _rear_. "

You were laughing as well. "Sans," you groaned, giggling wildly at his hurricane of puns. He looked pleased as punch with himself, so you retaliated by tickling his feet. He jerked them away, gasping.

"hey!"

You grinned at him, and he just snorted and shrugged. Both of you were topless, you with your underwear and him with his shorts. You wondered if he wore boxers or...

You didn't have to wonder for long; he kicked off his shorts and the boxers he wore beneath at the same time. There was not just smooth bone there: on his pelvis, between his legs, was a decently-sized but not terribly big shaft. The base of it was transparent, slowly fading into a gradient with the deepest, strongest color at the tip. You gasped, admiring it.

"so you just gonna stare, or..." You laughed a bit.

"Sorry, it's just... it looks cool. And answers questions." You shrugged, and then kicked off your own underwear, once again landing it in your hamper. Nice. You were on a roll with that.

There was a long silence, both of you kind of looking at each other. Finally, you broke the motionless silence by reaching over, gently touching your hand to the skeleton's cock. You could feel it pulse, air shifted to form something solid. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't exactly cold either; it was just a very neutral temperature. You stroked it slowly.

Sans let out a quiet groan. "have you ever...?"

"Uh, yeah. I have. With one guy... you?" His shake of the head was the only answer, his eyes closing fully. You shifted a bit more, getting comfortable as now both of your hands gently massage the magical penis. He let you continue for just a short time, before grabbing both of your hands.

"alright. think it's time to switch," he mumbled, pushing you back a little. You decide to lay on your back, and you feel his bones poke at your folds. You jolt a bit.

"didn't mean to hurt you! sorry, sorry..."

"You didn't hurt me! You just startled me is all. It's okay. I'll let you know if anything is uncomfortable. You're fine," you soothed. His fingers went back to gently exploring. You could see him using one hand for support, the other exploring your area. You felt one of his fingers slide into your hole, and you moaned. 

"Ah... You know what's even better? Towards the top of it there should be a small patch of skin... the clitoris, it's _really_ sensitive..." He took his finger out of you, and used his hand to look. With your instructions, he soon found your clitoris, and you began to get very wet with arousal. You moaned happily, and he grinned at his success. 

" are you ready to go further?" he asked uncertainly after a little bit. 

"Mhm. I'll help guide you, we can figure out a pace that works together." 

"sounds good to me." 

He carefully climbed on top of you, and you felt his rod poke at your hole. You put one of your hands on his hip, shifting upwards a little bit as you gently guided him both verbally and physically until he managed to enter you. It felt good, a pleasant pressure and force. He started to rock in and out, and you gently and quietly encouraged him. 

Soon you both fell into the rhythm of it, and your room was filled with two sets of moans. Sans ended up cumming first, his seed filling your hole. He slowed to a stop, just holding there for a moment, and you made a slightly frustrated hum as your fingers found their way to your own clit so you could finish yourself off. He noticed. 

"oh, shoot, i thought you had finished too. hold on..." He batted your fingers away, and started rocking again. It wasn't as fast as before, but exploratory and careful. Between him rubbing your clit and now his motions, he soon brought you to join him in after-sex bliss. 

The two of you rolled onto your side, and you wrapped your arms around him as he pulled out of you. You yawned, cuddling close. 

"don't get your hopes up," he warned quietly. You looked at him. 

"It's a 'whatever'," you agreed, "I know. No hopes here, other than that we can be at least friends." 

He smiled a bit, and you saw him look relaxed and fairly happy. "yeah, i can do that." 

The two of you ended up dozing off, happily in each other's arms. There was a lot to worry about, of course, but for now you could just live in the moment and appreciate what had happened. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> insert your personal favorite soda under 'ginger ale'. oh, me? soda makes me throw up so no soda for me.
> 
> also very talky sex. yup. but communication is key, folks.
> 
> next chapter's the last one.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Epilogue. Short chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me forever, but I can close this little ditty up. hurrah.
> 
> apologies for weird pacing throughout the story. is it weird? it feels weird.

You ended up being late for work, mostly because Sans was a cuddler and getting him to get off of you was... a struggle. You had no idea it was possible, but he was a bit like a very boney koala.

Marinette was grinning, and you were pretty sure she knew you had been up to something involving Sans, but she didn't say anything about it.

And then things were... normal. You didn't have appointments with Sans anymore since you couldn't trust yourself to be the professional you tried to be, but you still met up with him - and often Papyrus - regularly. Papyrus had decided you were good for him, even if you weren't doing therapy anymore. And when you talked to Toriel about it, she had agreed.

You were a 'whatever' with Sans for a while, stuck in a sort of limbo that you were actually, surprisingly, okay with. Sometimes you acted just like friends, sometimes like more. Either way, a year passed, and an actual psychiatrist - not just a therapist like yourself - moved into the town and soon Marinette had two employers instead of just one. Shockingly, your workload lightened.

And finally, Sans was texting with an online therapist. "it's easier," he said in a quiet voice, "less personal. so i can talk."

You yourself didn't push him much about some of the weirder things he had said. He didn't elaborate, but he did clarify some things here and there.

But after a year, the two of you were watching TV at his house. You had devoured Papyrus's 'friendship spaghetti' for the dinner he had made you three ("BETTER THAN THE FROZEN MEALS YOU USUALLY EAT, LESLIE!") and now Sans was in your lap while you didn't really pay attention to the MTT reruns on screen. You were fairly confident Sans was asleep when he said your name.

You looked down at him, and his eyelights were small in the way that showed he was nervous. You frowned, rubbing his forehead a bit.

"so, uh... we've been friends for a while, right? and kind of with benefits?" You snorted a bit, shrugging.

"Sure. The state of being 'whatever'," you responded with a smile, "Why's that got you nervous?"

His cheeks lit up with a faint dusty blue, the color of his magic. "w-well, uh... well... you know maybe i don't want to be. 'whatever'. anymore." You frowned a bit, wondering where he was going. "i don't suppose you want a _bone_ friend?"

It took you longer than you'd like to admit before it clicked, and you burst out laughing. You leaned back a bit, giggling crazily, and soon Sans's deeper chuckles echoed. His, however, had a note of nervousness to them.

You finally breathe out, taking a deep breath in after. "I dunno, my schedule's kind of full," you say with a smile, "Not sure I can fit in a bonefriend. But... maybe for you, I can make an expression."

His delighted reaction absolutely made your night. Everything was going to be okay - no, more than okay, everything would turn out _great_. And you couldn't wait to experience life with all of your friends and, now, your boyfriend.

Yeah, things were good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -throws confetti and immediately starts on another fic with OC's in a Post-Pacifist UT verse while balancing her 'major' projects-


End file.
